Marshwood’s turnaround almost complete

SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — On a good day, it’s not even an hour’s drive from Marshwood High School to Portland, where tonight’s Class B state championship game will be played.

But no team in the state has traveled farther to get there.

At this time a year ago, the Hawks were nearly a month into their offseason after going 2-6 for the third straight year. They had no idea when they’d return to the field in August who their coach was going to be.

And tonight, a year later, they’re one win away from delivering Marshwood its first state title in 23 years, one that was so far off the radar screen 12 months ago it might have been on Mars.

Has it sunk in yet?

“Not really,” said junior center/defensive end Ethan Joy. “I was just thinking the other day that when I’m 40 years old, looking back with my kids, it might sink in then.”

The Western Maine champion Hawks (10-1) will try to do something that nobody’s done all season: beat Eastern Maine champ Mt. Blue, which is 11-0 one year after losing in its regional championship game to Leavitt, 22-21 in double-overtime.

The Cougars’ offense flows through senior quarterback Jordan Whitney, a three-year starter with 69 career touchdown passes to his name. This season, he’s thrown for more than 1,500 yards, with 28 TDs and just five interceptions.

The Cougars are averaging 37.3 points a game. The heart of their 4-2-5 defense is their inside linebackers — Chad Luker and Bradley Jackson — who were both were named to All-Pine Tree Conference first team.

“I know they’re a damn good team and they’ve got a lot of good players,” said Marshwood quarterback Cameron Roll. “I know they’re going to be really hard but I can’t wait to see them. It’s gonna be two elite teams hitting up.”

Mt. Blue (11-0) has jumped on its opponents early, outscoring them 170-14 in the first quarter at one point. The Cougars would love to get ahead of Marshwood, which has only passed minimally this season, and whose offense isn’t built for the quick strike or big comeback.

“Marshwood wants to run the ball; there’s no secret about that,” said Parlin. “We’d like to put them in a position where they have to do some things they’re not confident doing.”

Parlin and some of his staff members were here last Saturday to watch the Hawks’ 21-20 win over York in the regional final.

“One of the things we saw was how quick they are,” said Parlin. “Their defensive line is a lot quicker than some of the teams that we’ve played. It seemed York was the big, strong, overpowering line and Marshwood was the faster, quicker line.”

“We’re not the biggest line in the league, definitely, but we’re probably one of the quickest and best-conditioned,” said Joy. “We get it done.”

Win or lose, this will be the earliest Rotsko has concluded a football season in two decades.

At Longmeadow (Mass.) High School, which he led to 11 Super Bowl titles in 19 seasons, things really didn’t get heated until the annual Thanksgiving Day rivalry game against East Longmeadow. The first round of the playoffs was the following Tuesday and the Super Bowls were held the Saturday after that.

“The nice thing about the playoffs up here in Maine is that you really do earn it,” said Rotsko. “If you make it to this point you’ve had three playoff games, and I think we played three good teams.”

The Hawks will meet a fourth tonight.

“I’d be shocked if one team wins by more than a couple of scores,” said Parlin.